Trottier bringing hockey camp to Wetaskiwin

Hockey is Canada’s national winter sport but it’s importance goes far beyond that, the game is the heart and soul of the country. Nearly everyone growing up here laced up a pair of skates, donned the jersey of their local team and watched Hockey Night in Canada in their living room.

One player many of our parents grew up watching was the legendary Bryan Trottier, who will be holding a hockey camp in Wetaskiwin Aug. 26 to 30.

The person bringing the former NHL great to Wetaskiwin is Don Elliot of Coach’s Source for Sports. Elliot met Trottier at an event in Camrose and the two talked about the possibility of hosting a camp in Wetaskiwin.

“The reason we’re bringing this here is for Wetaskiwin to have something,” said Elliot. “The idea is to get people saying that ‘yeah, Wetaskiwin has a great hockey community.’”

The Trottier camp will be a half-day camp starting at 9 a.m. every day over its four days. Trottier will be training the young players with fellow coach Rob Brown, both alternating between teaching the game on the ice and off the ice.

“They are going to be there with the kids the whole week during the day,” said Elliot. “It’s just awesome that way, for me that’s what’s the best about it.”

Elliot believes Trottier’s approach to the game will bring a new perspective to hockey players in the community.

“Just to learn something about the game and to have fun with the game,” said Elliot. “Meeting Bryan and seeing that he’s a fun guy, it’s not all serious and I think the game has gotten too serious. So, I want the kids to have fun and learn, so they can walk away saying that this was the (most fun) we’ve had in a while.”

Trottier, the Hall of Famer and six-time winner of Lord Stanley’s Cup, hopes the kids who attend the camp can see the many opportunities the game presents.

“Go as fast as you can in control,” said Trottier. “We want to promote urgency, agility along with a good focus.

“Too many kids lose focus after their first shot, but I tell them, ‘no no, your job’s never done.’ When you’re on the ice your job is to press, press, press and attack, attack, attack. It’s wonderful to see the results in kids once they grasp that, then it gets them really excited about playing because they realize ‘Wow this is really kind of fun, I not only get one but I can get two, three, four chances on just one shift.’”

Despite the popular thought that defence wins championships, Trottier has a opposite approach.

“Not in my world,” said Trottier.

“Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux and all these guys all share this philosophy in the sense that yeah defence is important but pressure creates turnovers and it doesn’t matter where you create that pressure whether it’s the offensive zone, neutral zone or defensive zone.

“You don’t just want to defend again, you want to attack.”

Trottier believes it will bring up the competitive level of the game because if one town’s team is improving through these camps, the other towns will follow suit and bring camps for their teams.

Trottier hopes the hockey community in Wetaksiwin will enjoy what the game can bring and turn this camp into an annual event.

“We sure get a kick out of this and we hope Wetaskiwin does too,” said Trottier.

“Maybe we can make this an annual thing and bring other players too. It’s always fun to bring something to a community that so eager and willing to bring NHLers to their community.

“Maybe players will make it to the NHL, maybe they won’t but at least they’ll enjoy hockey to the highest level they can possibly play.”

The Bryan Trottier Camp is being held from Aug. 26 to 30 at the Wetaskiwin Civic Center.

For more information contact Don Elliot by email at coachs@sourceforsports.com.